Toddler holds breath

HCM City supports 100% of health insurance cost for close-poverty people The residual fund balance of state-owned HCMC Social Insurance will be used to support the poor and those in close to poverty line, said the insurance company during a meeting on how to use the abundant fund of the insurance company for the poor. The meeting was presided over by Deputy Chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Thu and representatives from departments of Labor, Invalids and Social Affair, Health, Finance after Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper published an article entitled: "Insurance fund balance is residual while poor people have no insurance card". Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency Cao Van Sang said the surplus in insurance fund in 2015 was VND1,141 billion (US$51 million). As per the regulation of allocation and using the fund, the city is allowed to use 20 percent of the fund balance of the insurance company or VND228 billion (US$10,225,128). The Department … [Read more...] about Social News 8/9

Heat wave continues in northern, central regions The temperature between 11am and 6pm today will stay above 35 degrees Celsius. The day temperature in Hà Nội can reach a high of 36 to 37 degrees Celsius or even higher in some areas. The centre said the heat wave would continue in the central region for the next two to three days, while the temperatures in the north would fall from tomorrow. Vietnam participates in ASEF Editors' Roundtable in Mongolia Editors from Asian and European media outlets discussed the roles and responsibility of journalists when reporting during the 8th ASEF Editors' Roundtable, held recently in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The 8th ASEF Editors' Roundtable, themed "Asia-Europe Digital Connectivity", was organised in conjunction with the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM11) on July 7-9. About 20 senior commentators from esteemed media houses including Wenhui Daily (China), Frontline Magazine (India), The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), The Independent (Ireland), the … [Read more...] about Social News 11/7

Four-ton Buddha Statute on display in Danang One of the greatest Wonders of the Buddhist World, the four-ton Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, is now on display through June 19 at the Nam Hai Pagoda in the central city of Danang. "The Jade Buddha, dedicated to promoting universal peace and compassion, is on a tour that has taken it around the globe," said a venerable monk from the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace organization. This exhibition is for everyone, he said, irrespective of their religion, to take a moment to reflect upon peace- peace for the world, peace relationships, peace within friends and family, peace at work, peace in mind, and most importantly peace in our heart. This is the fourth pagoda in Vietnam that the heart-warming exhibition has gone on display following exhibits at Bai Dinh, Hong Phuc and Ba Vang pagodas, he said. This is the last stop before the statue will settle in permanently in Australia. Nearly 16 kilos of drugs seized at Vietnam's southern border gate … [Read more...] about Social News 6/6

The grass is being trimmed, the flowers tended and the potholes on roads filled. Jazz plays out from a cafe, and a few people are out enjoying the sunshine. Yet puncturing the scene of a European summer is the distant boom, boom, boom of artillery fire and emptiness. This is Donetsk, nicknamed the Ukrainian city of a million roses and now the headquarters of a pro-Russia group wanting to break up the country. With separatists blamed by the U.S. for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane last week and killing almost 300 people, the semblance of normality masks a foreboding among residents as to the fate of their city with Ukrainian forces fighting militants in the suburbs. "All this is idiocy," said Olga, 25, keeping an eye on her toddler son Artyom in a city playground. Like most locals, she spoke Russian and declined to give her last name. "Each side is fighting for its own benefit, and these are common people that suffer unnecessarily." The downing of flight MH17 60 kilometers … [Read more...] about Rebel stronghold Donetsk holds breath as shellfire mounts

Four salvage workers die on ship
Four workers died while salvaging a Malaysian oil tanker wrecked off the coast of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on Tuesday.
The four victims, aged between 19 and 39 years old, died on the spot after reportedly breathing toxic gas in the hold of the vessel.
Four other workers overcome in the same incident were saved by in-time application of emergency aid. They are said to be in a stable condition.
All eight workers were hired to retrieve the Onnekas One tanker which was wrecked off the coast of Phu Vang District's Vinh Thanh Commune last December.
The Onnekas One tanker was hit by strong waves on its way to China's Hainan Island and broke in two. The front drifted to Quang Dien District and the rear to Phu Vang District.
Ben Luc Salvage Co Lt has been hired to retrieve the two parts.
Over 32,000 local Vietnamese working abroad
More than 32,000 Vietnamese were recruited as guest workers, mostly for Taiwan (China), Japan, the Republic … [Read more...] about SOCIETY IN BRIEF 19/6